Some marijuana products are being recalled in Arizona for possible Salmonella or Aspergillus contamination. Multiple establishments and dispensaries are issuing this voluntary recall. Laboratory tests conducted on these products were positive for Salmonella or Aspergillus.
The recalled products include Baked Bros Watermelon Syrup, with batch number BBWS150I-1. This is an ingestible syrup containing honey and alcohol, and it may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Also recalled is Toasted brand products, which include Sugar Cookies, Rose Gold, Dawgy Treats, Pear, Dirty Sprite, Bettie Paige, Russian Cream, White Rhino, Abracadabra, and Boo Berry. The batch number for those items is VE37BB. Those items are distillate, and the implicated contaminant is aspergillus.
Aspergillus can cause allergic reactions or infections, which usually occur in people who are already sick with something else. Symptoms of an aspergillus infection include asthma or cold symptoms, fever, chest pain, wheezing, cough, and reduced ability to smell. More serious symptoms can include coughing up blood and shortness of breath. The infection can spread from the lungs to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection can include a fever, stomach cramps and pain, nausea and vomiting, a headache, and diarrhea that can be bloody. These usually start six hours to six days after infection, and can last up to a week.
The Arizona Department of Health Services laboratory auditors found the possible contamination during routine inspection of an independent third-party laboratory. That lab reports of the product samples, which actually tested positive for Salmonella, were sent to dispensaries and marijuana establishments as free of contaminants. Another sample that teated positive for Aspergillus was reported to establishments as free of contaminants.
If you purchased any of these items, do not ingest, inhale, or otherwise consume them. Dispose of the products in a double sealed package inside a secure garbage can. If you have already consumed any of these products and have any of the symptoms of illness, see your doctor.
